1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to yarn feed apparatus, principally (though not exclusively) designed for use with yarns such as cotton which tend to shed lint.
2. Description of Related Art
It is well known that the production of lint during yarn processing can give rise to many problems, such as contamination of the working environment and the resultant fire hazard. A variety of techniques have been proposed for minimizing these problems, such as encasing the yarn creel in a ventilated unit incorporating filters, and passing the yarn through tubing from the take-off point at the cone or package to the input of a yarn feed device of a processing machine. However, due to difficulties in initially threading the yarn from the output of the feed device to the processing machine itself, to date the tubing has not been extended beyond the yarn feed device.
In addition, current yarn feed devices include many contact points against which the yarn rubs, thereby causing lint to be shed. For example, detectors must be provided to ensure that the processing machine is arrested in the event of abnormal tension on the yarn or the yarn breaking, and these detectors operate by contact with the yarn.
It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate these particular problems.